Both current IU player Tayton Conerway and former Hoosier Mackenzie Mgbako placed their names in the NBA Draft early entry list.
But neither was invited to next week’s draft combine in Chicago.
The NBA released the list of 75 players who have been invited to the 2025 NBA Draft Combine, which will take place from May 11-18 at Wintrust Arena and the Marriott Marquis in Chicago.
Conerway and Mgbako will have until May 28 to formally stay in or take their names out of the draft. Without an invite to the combine, their draft outlook doesn’t look promising. But both players can still obtain valuable feedback.
The 6-foot-3 and 185-pound Conerway was named the Sun Belt Player of the Year in 2024-25. Conerway led Troy in points (14.2), assists (4.8), steals (2.9) and minutes (30.4). He shot 47.1 percent from the field overall including 27 percent from three. He converted at a 66.4 percent clip at the free throw line.
Leal Reportedly Seeking Waiver
As we’ve reported extensively here, forward Luke Goode has applied for a medical hardship waiver to obtain a fifth-year of college basketball eligibility and return to IU.
He may not be the only one.
The Indiana 247Sports site is reporting veteran IU wing Anthony Leal is seeking a sixth-year of college basketball, also via a medical hardship waiver.
Leal has played in 95 games over five seasons at Indiana: 20 in 2020-21, 17 in 2021-22, 11 in 2022-23, 21 in 2023-24 and 26 in 2024-25. The 2020-21 season did not count against any player’s eligibility, and it would appear his junior season in 2022-23 would be the subject of the waiver. Leal played sporadically throughout that season, appearing at least once in each month of the campaign, including a minute in the NCAA Tournament win over Kent State. Leal dealt with various lower leg injuries in 2022-23.
The NCAA recently approved the waiver request of a St. Joseph’s player who appeared in the final six games of the season. Late season participation is a factor that has historically worked against waiver requests. The St. Joseph’s player’s approval may signal sweeping change is coming.
Dozens of college basketball players with no clear remaining eligibility entered the transfer portal before the window closed and put in waiver requests. There have been no reports to indicate Leal entered the transfer portal.
Leal started IU’s final 14 games in 2025.
IU Appears in First ESPN Bracketology for 2026
With 2025-26 rosters rounding in to form, it at least makes sense to start mentioning predictions for next season.
After the work new IU coach Darian DeVries and his staff have completed to assemble a roster of at 11 players thus far, ESPN’s Joe Lunardi included the Hoosiers as a No. 10 seed in his first 2026 NCAA Tournament bracketology. That seeding places the Hoosiers in a First Four matchup against Marquette. That would be a rematch, as IU plays the Golden Eagles in November at the United Center in Chicago.
Lunardi has 12 Big Ten teams in his field, with Purdue as a No. 1 seed. Also included are Michigan (No. 2), Michigan State (No. 4), UCLA (No. 4), USC (No. 4), Ohio State (No. 5), Wisconsin (No. 6) Illinois (No. 7), Oregon (No. 8), Iowa (No. 9) and Maryland (No. 10).
Indiana has missed each of the last two NCAA Tournaments.
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